234 BRITISH BIRDS. 



collyhita abietina (Nilss.) — the Eastern form of our Chiff chaff. 

 According to Dr. Hartert, this form breeds in Scandinavia, 

 East Prussia, Austria, and Hungary, southwards to Bosnia 

 and Montenegro, and in Russia, south of 65° N. It winters 

 in Greece, Asia Minor, and North-East and East Africa, but 

 its migration route and western boundary are still uncertain. 

 It may be distinguished from our native bird by its slightly 

 larger size, paler coloration, and longer wing measurements, 

 which are about 2.5 inches in the male, and 2.25 inches in the 

 female. This is the first recorded example from this country, 

 but it seems hkely that solitary individuals may occur yearly 

 in this country on migration, as it would be impossible to 

 distinguish them from the common Chiffchaff unless they were 

 obtained. 



J. L. BONHOTE. 



THE NORTHERN RACE OF THE WILLOW-WREN 



IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

 During the last two years, whilst examining birds and wings 

 sent from the Hghthouses and lightships on the south coast, 

 I was struck by the fact that there frequently occurred a 

 WilloAv-Wren which, though like our breeding Willow- Wrens 

 superficially, was easily distinguishable from them. On 

 going into the matter more carefully I found that these birds 

 in spring differed from ours in the following characters : — 



1. The colour of the dorsal parts has a greyish instead of a 

 yellowish green tint, thus giving the bird a paler appearance. 



2. Underparts almost entirely \\athout the yellow which 

 is seen on our birds in spring plumage, and much paler. 



3. The supercihary stripe usually quite white, and not 

 yellowish. 



Further, I found that these birds do not begin to arrive 

 in the south of England before the end of April, and that the 

 majority pass through during the first two weeks of May — 

 at a time when our own birds are busy breeding. 



The race to which these birds evidently belong has been 

 recognised by Dr. Hartert, and I think quite rightly, under the 

 name of Phylloscopus trochilus eversmanni (Bonaparte) [in 

 no way to be confounded with Eversman's Warbler], and 

 the distribution which he gives {Die Vdg. pal. Faun., p. 509) 

 is : — the breeding range begins in north Russia, east of Timan 

 Hills, and extends south to the eastern parts of Perm and 

 Orenburg ; eastward it is the breeding form of the Ob and 

 Yenesei, and extends to the mouths of the Lena and Kolyma; 

 passing through Roumania and Egypt on migration, it winters 

 in South Africa. I have examined about a dozen examples 



